Track hurdle



July 0- H. L. GILL v 2,206,501

'rxmcx HURDLE Filed March 10, 1939 .[IVVE/VTOB'; HARRY L. 614.1.

BYAQQZ H TTOHNE Y Patented July 2, 1940 UNETE STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 10,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to track hurdles, and has for its main object to provide a .novel hurdle that will rock forwardly, without toppling over, and without rising, in the event the user strikes the cross piece of the gate, in passing over the hurdle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a hurdle of the kind above described, that is rugged in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a front elevational view of my improved hurdle.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of said hurdle; and

Figure 3 is an end view of said hurdle.

The hurdle comprises a base structure and a vertically-adjustable gate mounted on said base structure in such a way that the cross piece of said gate can be easily raised and lowered to Vary the height of the hurdle. Usually, the base structure will be composed of two spaced side parallel members A, a pair of transversely-disposed bottom cross members B arranged between said side members and secured to same in any suitable way, uprights or supports C that project upwardly from the bottom cross members B at the point where the ends of said cross members are attached or joined to the side members, and a top cross member D fastened to the uprights C. The gate will usually comprise a cross piece E provided with depending legs F that are adjustablyconnected in any preferred way to the uprights C of the base structure.

The side members A of the base structure, which are arranged in parallel relationship, as shown in Figure 2, are provided at their front ends with rockers I having convexed surfaces that extend upwardly and forwardly and which constitute bearing surfaces or ground engaging surfaces on which the hurdle as an entirety can rock or fulcrum in the event the users foot or leg accidentally strikes against the cross piece of the gate in the normal use of the hurdle. The particular shape and dimensions of the rockers l are not essential to my broad idea, so long as the base structure of the hurdle is so designed that a force or blow on the gate of the hurdle will not cause the hurdle to completely topple over and also raise the gate, but on the contrary, will simply cause the hurdle to swing forwardly into an inclined position, with the cross piece of the gate disposed no higher than the position which it occupies when the hurdle is in its normal upright position. In order to insure that the side members A of the base structure will rest evenly or squarely upon the ground, the bottom edges or undersides of said side members are cut away 1939, Serial No. 260,919

slightly, as shown in Figure 3, so as to produce two spaced ground engaging surfaces 2. shown in Figure 3, the uprights G that carry the gate are arranged in close proximity to the rockers I, of the side members A, and the convexed ground engaging surfaces of said rockers terminate at points substantially coincident with the vertical axes of said uprights. In other words, the rockers l are arranged entirelyat one side of the vertical axis of the uprights C, the heel portions of said rockers starting at substantially the center line of the uprights C, and merging into the upwardly and forwardly-extending convexed surfaces of the rockers. Consequently, a blow or force exerted on the cross piece of the gate in the normal 'use of the hurdle will not result in an upward movement of said cross piece, but instead, will result in movement of said cross piece through an arc whose axis is located at approximately the heels of the rockers I, i. e., the points where the convexed groundengaging portions of the side members of the base structure merge into the vertical axes of the uprights C which sustain the gate. In my improved hurdle there is no danger of the top cross piece of the gate moving upwardly above the horizontal plane which it normally occupies, in the event it is struck by the user in traveling over the hurdle, and there is nodanger of the hurdle being knocked down by a blow or force applied to the gate by the users foot, in traveling over the hurdle, due to the particular construction of the base structure and the location or arrangement of the gate with relation to the base structure. While the length and shape of the ground engaging surfaces of the rockers I may be varied, it is of course essential that said rockers be made of such dimensions and shape that a very slight blow or pressure will cause the hurdle as an entirety to rock forwardly into an inclined position, wherein it remains until it is restored to its normal position by gravity, or by manual force or pressure. If desired, a counterbalancing means G of any preferred design or construction may be combined with the side members A of the base structure, so as to enable the hurdle to be adjusted to vary the force or pres sure required to tilt or rock the hurdle forwardly.

Preferably the side members and transversely-disposed members of the base structure are made of wood, and the uprights C are made of hollow metal tubing of square shape in cross section. The cross piece of the gate and the depending legs thereon are also preferably made of wood. Said legs are arranged in telescopic relationship with the uprights C of the base structure, and are held in adjusted position by retaining pins 3 that pass through holes in the uprights, and through selected ones of groups of holes 4 in the legs F of the gate, the said pins being removably mounted in the uprights C, but held in assembled relationship with the same by chains 5 or the like.

A hurdle of the construction above described is of sufiiciently rugged design to successfully withstand the rough usage to which it is subjected in normal service; it is inexpensive to manufacture, and it has the very desirable characteristic of being designed so that it will not completely topple over and will not rise or move upwardly above the horizontal plane in which the cross piece of the gate normally lies, in the event the user accidentally strikes the gate in passing over the hurdle. Instead, as previously stated, a blow on the cross piece of the gate simply causes said cross piece to swing forwardly and downwardly through the horizontal plane in which it normally lies, and then come to rest with the rockers I of the base structure resting on the ground and maintaining the uprights C in a forwardly tilted position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A track hurdle, comprising a vertically-disposed portion, a base structure that carries said portion, said base structure having two elongated, horizontally disposed side members arranged in parallel relationship, counterweights on said side members, spaced ground engaging portions on the bottom edges of said side members, and rockers at one end of said side members formed integral with the same and disposed so as to constitute surfaces on which said side members can rock so as to permit said verticallydisposed portion to tilt into an inclined position without toppling over, substantially as described.

2. A track hurdle, comprising uprights that carry a gate or cross member, and a base structure forsaid uprights comprising elongated side members provided at one end with rockers arranged entirely at one side of the vertical axis of said uprights.

HARRY L. GILL. 

